Category — Chicken

This, my friends, might be your favorite slow cooker recipe – if you like the flavors of Indian food, that is. It’s rich and silky and perfect either over rice, or with naan. Enjoy a crisp salad on the side, or better yet, steam up some fresh green veg and season with a splash of lemon juice – you’ll want something light and a little bit acidic to counteract the lusciousness of the chicken. [Read more →]

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Today’s recipe is a simple, hearty  and healthy dinner salad that boasts high protein and high fiber.  If you skip the added chicken, you could serve this as a pretty and creative side dish.  Or sub tofu for chicken, and create a vegan one-dish meal.  In any case, this’ll cost you only 30 minutes of your time, counter to table.

Orange Chicken Quinoa

Boil 1 1/4 c. water in a small saucepan.  Add rinsed quinoa, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for approximately 12 minutes, or until the water is absorbed by the quinoa.  Remove from heat, let stand for 5 minutes and then fluff.

While the quinoa is cooking, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.  Trim the scallions and cut into 1-inch pieces.  Saute the chicken and scallions in a skillet with 1 t. of olive oil, until the chicken is no longer pink inside.

Meanwhile, make the dressing.  Cut 1 inch off each end of the orange.  Squeeze the orange ends into a small bowl, to get about 2 T. of juice.  Whisk together the orange juice, the lemon juice, 3 T. olive oil, salt and pepper.  Peel the remainder of the orange and slice it very thinly.

Add the chicken mixture, the dressing, sliced orange and the pistachios to the quinoa and toss.  Taste for seasoning – add more lemon juice, salt and/or pepper if desired.  Arrange 1 c. of salad greens on each of four plates, garnish each with 1/4 of the chicken mixture.

Serves 4.

Adapted from the Nutrition Action Healthletter, April 2009

Tip: Are you using non-stick cookware?  It’s more than suspect from a health-standpoint, it could be downright dangerous.  Did you know that a properly seasoned cast iron frying pan is virtually non-stick?  The secret is to heat it up before you begin cooking your food.  The 1 teaspoon of oil in this recipe more than coated my cast iron frying pan and created a non-stick surface for my chicken – all for only 10 extra calories per serving.  And bonus!  If you use cast iron cookware, you’ll get a little extra iron in your diet.

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There’s lots of citrus in the market now – why not use some of those tasty navel oranges you see in a new way?  This super-fast and creative take on the usually ho-hum boneless, skinless chicken breast takes it from drab to fab in 30 minutes!

Chicken With Oranges & Feta (adapted from the America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook)

4 scallions, green parts only, sliced thin

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat (don’t use your cast-iron for this one, ’cause you’re going to do the oranges in here too and the acid will react with the iron).  Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts.  When the oil is just smoking, add the chicken and cook until it’s well browned on the first side, approximately 6-8 minutes.  Turn the chicken and continue to cook until it’s no longer pink in the middle, approximately 6-8 more minutes.  Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and tent loosely with aluminum foil.

Return the skillet to medium heat and add the garlic and fennel seed. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the oranges and the water and cook, stirring up any browned bits, until the oranges are just softened, 1-2 minutes.  Stir in any accumulated chicken juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the relish over the chicken breasts, sprinkle with the feta and scallions, and serve.

Serves 4.

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It’s the holidays, and for us, that means cookie baking, gingerbread house making, partying with friends and family, and, unfortunately, fatigue.  Despite my best intentions, I’m always “too busy” at this time of year.  I’m so looking forward to that stretch of time between Christmas and New Year’s, when our family unplugs and unwinds for the week . . . jammies ’til noon, lazy lunches of leftovers, puzzles, games, and catching up casually with friends we don’t see often enough.

So I’ve been in a cooking rut, which is why you’ve not seen much that’s inspiring here.  Lots of Crock-Pot items – and while they’re certainly convenient and can be tasty, I’ve never had a knock-your-socks-off meal from the Crock.

But last night I got crazy and tried a new recipe, and it was a winner, I tell you!   [Read more →]

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Another Everyday Food knockoff for you today!  I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it here, but I’d estimate that Everyday Food Magazine is the source of more of my “keeper” recipes than any other food pub I read.  And believe me, I read a lot of food-related publications.  I’d venture to say that if you want to add one mag to your repertoire in the upcoming year, it should be this one.  The recipes are consistently easy and delicious, and they emphasize all-natural and seasonal ingredients.  This is NOT the fancy froo-froo Martha Stewart Living Magazine . . . nope, a sister publication that’s as down-to-earth as you and me.  Nothin’ fancy.  Just good vittles.

OK, off soapbox and into the kitchen.  [Read more →]

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Now here’s a frugal dish:  chicken thighs and dried beans.  Sure, there’s jarred salsa, and I’d encourage you to buy a good brand because the flavor will take center stage, but really, this is a cheap and easy one today, folks.  And so tasty!  [Read more →]

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If you’ve been apple picking lately, chances are you still have a lot of apples on hand.  Like us.  I estimate there’s at least 15 pounds still waiting for me in the refrigerator.  And if you’re like me, there’s only so much pie, crumble, crisp, Betty, etc. you can handle (my mind says “yes”, but my booty says “no!”).  So how ’bout cooking up dinner with them apples?

Chicken with Cider Mustard Sauce (adapted from the Nutrition Action Healthletter)

Put the chicken in a plastic Ziploc bag and pound to an even thickness of 1/2-inch.  Heat 1 T. of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Sauté the chicken in two batches until browned, about 4-5 minutes each side.  Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 T. of oil and sauté the shallots and 1/2 the diced apples for 3 minutes.  Add the cider and boil until it’s reduced by half, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and mix in the remaining apple and the mustard.  Season generously with pepper.  Pour the sauce over the chicken.

Serves 4.

P.S.  The Nutrition Action hyperlink up there leads you to some other tasty looking, healthful recipes incorporating apples . . . .

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As much as I like to cook, I’m newer to roasted chickens than I would like to admit.  Some of it I chalk it up to ignorance . . . I thought it’d take a long time, be a total pain in the butt, etc.  But really, it’s pretty simple – more than a 30-minute meal, but it’s mostly hands-off prep.  The other reason I roast chickens more often is that roasted chicken is one of L.’s all-time favorite meals.  This is a girl who, when asked what she’d miss most after a trip to Madrid, cited “roasted chickens” as number two (ham was number one, and her baby cousin didn’t rank!?).  As most of you know, my small friend eats almost NOTHING I blog about.  Travesty.  I don’t take it personally, ’cause really, the girl is missing out.  But if I can make at least some things that knock the whole crowd’s socks off, well, I’ll work the crowd-pleaser, for sure.

[Read more →]

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